Electric push-button.



Patented Dec. 25, |900.

T. A. NATHANS.

ELECTRIC PUSH BUTTON..

(Application led June 1, 1900.)

(No Mndel.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS A. NATHANS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC PUSHBUTTON-.

SPECIFICATION forming* part 0f Letters Patent N0. 664,667, dated December 25, 1900;

Application filed Tune 1,1900. Serial No. 18,701. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. NATHANS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Electric Push- Button, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to push-buttons in electric circuits for the purpose of sounding an alarm or making an audible signal and which is particularly well adapted for use in connection with door-bells.

The object of my invention is to provide a novel device of the characterindicated which embodies means for sounding a bell by completing an electric circuit either by applied pressure upon the push-button proper or in case a surreptitious removal of parts of the bell is attempted.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, asis hereinafter described ,and defined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the igures.

Figure l is a plan View of the improved push-button. Fig. 2 is a partly-sectional plan View substantially on the line 2 2 in Fig. 6. Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view of a spring contact-plate of peculiar form, which is a feature of the invention. Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a push-piece employed. Fig. 5 is a sectional side view of the device. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken at right angles to Fig. 5, substantially upon the line 6 6 in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view showing the working parts of the improvement in circuit with a battery and bell; and Fig. Sis an enlarged perspective view of a base-plate and two contact-posts thereon, which are features of the invention.

The invention as illustrated comprises the following details of construction.

The bottom plate 9, whereon other parts of the device are supported, is preferably rectangular in contour and securable upon a wall by screws which engage spaced holes edge, is threaded to adapt said casing to screw upon the boss l0.

A cover-plate 12`of the same form and diy mensions as the bottom plate 9 is centrally and circular-ly apertured to slide over the boss lO and loosely embrace its periphery, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and it will be seen that if the cover-plate is in position a portion of the boss lO will be projected above the same to permit the casing ll to be screwed down upon said cover-plate.

The spring contact-plate 13 shown is preferably formed of a strip of spring sheet metal which is a good conductor of electricity and has a portion thereof near one end returnbent, as at 13, thus affording a base-flange 13b, wherein screw-holes o, are formed to facilitate securing the plate 13 in place upon the flat top surface of the boss 10 by means of screws et', as is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. Preferably the spring contact-plate 13 is secured upon the boss 10 transversely of the bottom plate 9, as indicated in Fig. 2, so that the resilient main portion thereof will be located beneath and near the central portion of the casing 11. Preferably the crown of the casing l1 is somewhat dished and may have a circular guard-flange c erected thereon concentric with a central perforation in the crown. l

The push-piece 14 (shown detached in Fig. 4 and in position in Figs. 1, 5, and 6) is formed, preferably, of anon-cond uctor of electricity, and consists of acylindrical shank having an enlarged head at the upper end and a reduced threaded portion on the lower end for the reception of a tlat nut d, that when in place aords a retaining-flange.

The relative diameter of the push-piece adapts it to loosely iit in the central perforation in the casing l1, so that when inserted and the nut d screwed fully thereon the lat- IOO ter will seat upon the top surface of the spring contact-plate 13 and be pressed upon by the latter, so as to have enforced contact with the lower surface of the casing 11, as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6.

The base-plate 15, having one terminal of the circuit-wire 16 secured in electrical connection therewith, is affixed upon the upper surface of the boss 10 near the free end of the spring melnber of the contact-plate 13, as shown in Fig. 6, and for the proper operation of the device the foot-fiange of the spring contact-plate 13 and the base-plate 15 must be insulated from the bottom plate 9, as shown at e, if the latter and the boss thereon are conductors of electricity.

- A post 16 is upwardly extended from the base-plate 15, and when the parts of the device are in normal position said post has slight clearance from the lower side of the spring contact-plate 13. Another post 17 is erected upon the base-plate 15 near one side edge of the spring member of the contactplate 13, and theupper end of said post is bent at a right angle, so as to project above and over the spring portion of the contactplate 13, this member 17 of the post 17 having slight clearance from the upper side of the spring member of the contact-plate 13 when the parts of the electric push-button are not in service for closing the normally open electric circuit.

Fig. 7 illustrates diagrammatically the working parts of the novel push-button device arranged in open circuit with a battery D and bell E by the conducting-wire F, that at one terminal thereof is secured upon the foot portion of the spring contactplate 13 and at the opposite terminal has electrical connection with the base-plate l5, a switch G of any approved construction being preferably introduced to permit the bell and pushbutton to be cut out and the battery rendered dormant when the bell is not needed for use.

1t will be seen that when the working details-ot' the improvement are properly assembled the casing 11 Will be seated upon the cover-plate 12 and hold the latter in place, which enables said cover-plate to prevent access to the screws which hold the bottom plate upon the wall of a building, and in order to prevent the partial rotation of the cover-plate for exposure of said screws a small doWel-pin or stud g may be formed on one plate to enter a perforation in the other, as represented in Fig. 5, or any other equivalent means may be employed for the purpose.

Upon pressing the push-piece 14 inwardly a depression of the spring'member of the contact-plate 13 will be produced, and its lower surface will impinge the top of the straight post 16, which will obviously close the circuit and ring the bell E.

Should an attempt be made to unscrew the casing 1l, and thus obtain access to the fastening-screws for'the bottom plate 9, the removal of the push-piece 14 from enforced encease?- gagement with the spring member of the con- The cover-plate 12 not only serves the pur-v pose of protecting the screws that retain the push-button device secured in position Yon a Y.

wall, but also is so removed from the surface of said wall as to facilitate the polishing ofYV the casing 11 and the top surface of said *8oVV surface of the building-wall, which will pre- 'Y cover-plate without touching the adjacent vent the disfigurement o'f the latter that is t Y liable to occur if protection from the polish-.fV

ing material is not provided. Y

It will be evident that the peculiar form given to the spring contact-plate 13 permitsV it to be formed of a thin light strip of spring f g" metal, and as it is invenforced contact with the inner end of the push-piece 14 the latter is always under stress of said spring, which insures the effective operation of the complete device at all times.

The simplicity of the improvement is a Y meritorious Vfeature of the same, as it en-J ables the cheap production of the device 'by' ordinary machineshop tools, so that it may be aorded at low cost to the purchaser.

It is evident that there may be slightV changes made in the device within the scopeV of the invention-as, for example, the spring pushing the button may be in spiral form rodi and the position and arrangement of the con"-r tacts may be altered without departure from Y' the spirit of the invention. Hence `I do not wish to restrict the construction to the exact details shown. Y'

Having described m y invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a push-button device, the combina..-

tion with a bottom plate, a casing held Yre.-

movably thereon, and a push-button slidable through the top of the casing, of a double con.-

noY

tact device adapted to independently close Va i normally open circuit when the push-buttonV f fr V is depressed, and also when the casing is partially removed from the bottom plate.

2. In a push-button device, the combinal tion with a-bottom plate, and a casing remov-V 1 ably securable thereon, of a spring-pressed push-button slidable through the casing-top,

electric Wires in connection with open-circuit Y Y Y Y contacts in the casing, and means to com pleteVVV thecircuit upon depression of the push-butfV Y ton or partial displacement of the casing from f the bottom plate. Y

3. In a push-button device, the combina-1 tion with a casing, a bottom plate on which 'ai the casing is removably secured, a push-but.Y 1 V J ton slidable through the top of the casing, and Y 'r a spring pressing the push-button upwardly, r

circuit when the bush-button is depressed and also on partial removal of the casing from the bottom plate.

4. In a push-button device, the combination with a bottom plate, a spring-actuated push-button, and a casing removably held on the bottom plate, the push-button passing loosely up through the casing, of a cover-plate held on the bottom plate by the casing and adapted t-o prevent removal of said bottom plate from a building, two electric wires terminating in the casing in open circuit, and means to effect the closure of the circuit when the push-button is depressed and also when the casing is partially removed from the bottom plate.

5. In a push-button device, the combination with a bottom plate, a dome-like casing thereon, and a push-button slidable through the top of -the casing, of a bent contact-spring engaging the bottom plate and pressing the push-button upwardly, two electric wires terminating in open circuit in the casing, and a contact adapted to engage the spring upon the depression of the push-button, thus closing the electric circuit, a partial removal of the casing also closing said circuit.

6. In a push-button of the character described, the combination with the bottom plate, the casing screwing upon the bottom plate, and the spring-pressed push-button, of the two-part contact device adapted to close a normally open circuit of two electric wires in the casing when the push-button is depressed, and also when the casing is moved to unscrew it.

7. In an electric push-button, the combination with a bottom plate, and a casing screwing upon a boss on the bottom plate, of a return-bent spring contact-plate secured by a foot portion thereof upon the boss, a pushpiece working through the casing and pressed by the sp ring contact-plate, a base-plate seated upon the boss,two posts adapted to receive the impinge of the contact-plate on opposite sides thereof, and electric-circuit-wire terminals respectively secured upon the spring contactplate and upon the base-plate.

8. In an electric push-button, the combination with a bottom plate having a peripherally-threaded boss thereon, a cover-plate apertured to pass over the boss and seat upon the bottom plate, means to prevent the coverplate from turning, and a casing screwing upon the boss and pressing upon the coverplat-e, of a spring contact-plate on the boss, a push-piece passing through the top of the casing and pressed by the spring contactplate, and two contact-posts, one of which coacts with said contact-plate for closure of an electric circuit to ring a bell when the push-piece is depressed, and the other-post together with the spring contact-plate closing the same electric circuit when the casing is partially unscrewed.

9. In an electric push-button, the combination with a bottom plate having screw-holes, and also a peripherally-threaded boss that is flat on its upper side, and an apertured coverplate passing over the boss and seating upon the bottom plate, of a dome-like casing screwing upon the boss and pressing upon the cover-plate, means to prevent the coverplate from turning, a return-bent spring contact-plate secured by a foot portion thereof upon the boss, a pnsh-piecepassing loosely through a perforation in the crown of the casing and pressed upon by the spring contactplate, said push-piece havingaflange screwed upon its lower end to prevent removal from the casing, a base-plate fast on the boss and insulated therefrom, a straight post on the base-plate adapted to' receive the impinge of the spring contact-plate when said plate is depressed by the push-piece, an angularlybent post on the base-plate, the horizontal member of this post overhanging the contact-plate, to contact therewith when the casing i's partially unscrewed, terminals of an' electric circuit respectively secured upon the spring contact-plate and base-plate, and a bell in the electric circuit.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS A. NATHANS.`

Witnesses:

ADDISON M. NATHANS, FRANK L. ZABRISKIE. 

